This franchise also has a lot of characters. Who are you focusing on for this film?

We don't want to give up too much at this point, but it definitely revolves around Sly, Bentley and Murray. Carmelita will also be in the film--but as for the villains, outside of announcing Clockwerk, we intend on keeping that area a secret for now.

Can you explain the art style you're adopting for this film and how it will compare to the cel-shaded 3D look of the games?

When we began the production, we proposed to Sony that our goal was to give the film a more CG look, but remain true to the artistic style of the characters and world. A style that was a combination between gritty film noir meets bright, colorful graphic novels. There was no doubt we were cautious about this, and made sure that those who were responsible for creating and managing the franchise over the past decade supported this new look.

“We’re proud we’ve got the game developers intimately involved in the production to make sure we are true to the franchise,” Foxhoven told GamesBeat. “I can’t imagine a Harry Potter film where J.K. Rowling didn’t help.”